Spring-clasp



(No Model.)

- E. S. SMITH.

SPRING -0LASP.

4 No. 317,032. Patented May 5, 1885.

i! El bury, county of New Haven, and State of Con lJNITED ST TES PATENT Orrrcii...

EDWARD S. SMITH, W'ATERBURY, CONNECTICUT.

SPRING-CLASP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 317,032, dated May 5, 1885. Application filed February '18, 18 85. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD S. citizen of theUnited States, residing at Waternecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spring-Clasps, fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.

These improvements relate to lever-buckles or springclasps such as are commonly used in connection with looped plates as a shoefastening.

The invention consists in an improved structure of the holding-lever of the buckle or clasp, whereby'the same is. maintained closed by a spring-pressure that will prevent an accidental opening of the lever, and yet permit the same to be easily manipulated in the opening operation effectedby the hand; and the invention also includes an improved structure of the looped attaching-plate, whereby the same may be made from thin metal, and yet have sufficient rigidity and stiffness to resist the strains to which it is subjected in use upon an article secured by it.

In illustration of these improvements, Figure 1 represents a plan view of the body-plate of the buckle; Figs. 2 and 3, upper and under plan views of the holding-lever; Figs. 4 and 5, a plan view and a longitudinal sectional elevation of thelooped attaching-plate; Figs. 6 and 7, a plan view and side elevation of the parts all connected together. Fig. 8 is an end elevation of the buckle in a closed position, showing the holding-lever in section; Fig. 9, a side elevation of the buckle with its holding-lever open; Fig. 10, a central longitudinal sectional elevation of the buckle when closed, and Fig. 11 a plan view of the blank from which the holding-lever is formed. 7

The body-plate B of the buckle is formed of a suitable metal plate fashioned to provide side arms, 2 3, as in Fig. 1, that are swaged or bent upon themselves to constitute sockets 4 5 for the pintles 6 7 of the holding-lever L,which sockets, though curved, may be polygonal so long as they are contracted at certain points, as hereinafter explained. The holding-lever L is likewise formed of plate metal from a blank of the shape shown in Fig. 9, the forward portion of which blank is bent so as to provide the SMITH, a holdback or bearer 8 for the attaching looped plate, a central rearwardly-curved tongue or throw-off, 9, to lift said plate when the buckle is to be opened, and laterally-extended pivots 6 7, that enter the sockets 4 5 of the base-plate, which parts are so disposed that the pivots shall lie in a plane below that of the operatingarm of the lever, the holdback shall be below the pivots, and the throw-off lie below the attaching-plate when the same is confined by the holding-lever. The forward end of the blank is divided by slots 11 12, that extend far enough to divide the lever into a central body or operating-arm and wings,13 14, from which latter the pivots 6 7 project laterally, which slots, when the forward end of the lever is bent, as before described, extend to a point quite below its pivots,and form seats in which the upturned sides 1 of the attaching-plate rest, while the cross-bars of such attaching-plate find accommodating space between the body-plate B and the operatingarm of the lever. In this arrangement of the parts confining-walls are provided on each side of the sides 1 1 of the attachingplate, which walls consist of the inner edges of the wings 13 14 and the outer adjacent edges of the operating-arm of thelever'L, and thus operate to oppose any lateral strain that may be exerted on the attachingplate. The pivots 6 7 are flat and are split or bifurcated, so as to constitute pairs of arms that are capable of exerting a spring-pressure laterally. The sockets 4 5, in which these pivots are seated, are so shaped as to present, no obstruction to the free turning movement of the pivots .within them during the major-part of the swinging movement of the holding-lever L from its open position, as in Fig. 9, to its closed position, as in Figs. 7 and 10, but are so contracted as to compress the arms of the bifurcated pivots 6 7 when the same approach and rest in a position approximately parallel with the baseplate B, which is when the said lever is closed, as in Fig. 7. By this structure,when the buckle is closed, a looking or holding pressure is exerted upon said pivots, that will prevent the lever from being raised and openedjf by the draft of the looped plate it secures, and resist any accidental opening or displacing of the lever, yet allow the same to be moved for that purpose by aproper raising movement applied to the end of the lever. This structure presents a complete article made in two parts, simple in form and cheaply constructed ,which may, upon a proper relation of the holdback to the sockets, be used in connection with any ordinary looped plate. As here shown, how ever, the looped plate I? is made quite narrow, so that it may, when engaged with the holdinglever L, lie between the said sockets 4 5, and it has one end loop elongated laterally,so as to present an extended surface, by which it is secured to the garment. Its novel structure consists in providing it with upturned sides 1 1, which, though about right angular with respect to its general body, may stand at any other angle, or even be bent over about parallel with said body. The purpose of these turned sides is to impart sufficient stiffness and strength to an otherwise weak structure to resist any tendency to straighten out its curved form under the strain it is subjected to when in use, such a distortion, especially when it forms part of a shoe-fastening, operating to destroy its usefulness. Of course the sockets4 5, if perfectly circular, yet having an internal diameter less than the width of the bifurcated arms 6 7, would constantly apply friction thereto, and thus acting would hold the lever in any position to which it might swing.

What is claimed is- 1. A buckle or clasp consisting of a bodyplate having forwardly-extended sockets and a holding-lever pivoted in said sockets, the pivots of which lever are bifurcated to form springs,which said sockets contract, and thus lock or hold the lever, substantially as described.

2. In a buckle or clasp, the combination, with a holding-lever having slots 11 12, of an attaching-plate provided with sides that enter said slots, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDWARD S. SMITH.

Witnesses:

T. H. PALMER, H. T. MUNsoN. 

